It has been almost two weeks, but the sting still feels raw. Denny Hamlin executed what was the most impressive championship campaign in 2025, winning 6 trophies. But even after months of hard work and meticulous preparation, he could not get it, just due to an ill-timed, late-race caution. The situation confounded most in the NASCAR garage, and even the 2025 Cup Series champion. And Hamlin’s primary caregiver had a message for him.

The NASCAR world has many father-son narratives – the Pettys, Allisons, Bakers, Jarretts, Earnhardts, and Elliotts. Love and passion drove these names rather than just ambition and achievement. Similarly, Denny Hamlin’s father also reassured him despite marginally missing his 19-year-old title dream.

No difference between the champion and Denny Hamlin

In an ‘Actions Detrimental’ episode, Denny Hamlin steadily unraveled the words of his father, Dennis, after losing in Phoenix. Hamlin said, “He didn’t like the outcome. But I think he was still okay with the result. Yeah. You know what I mean? He said to me, just like a lot of people say, he’s like, I don’t know what to say. What am I supposed to say? He’s like, you had it. You did it. You know, you just don’t have the trophy. That’s it.” These noble words came despite Dennis Hamlin’s ailing health, marking a true moment of parental love.

Indeed, Denny Hamlin led for 208 of 312 laps at the NASCAR Cup Series finale. He overcame malfunctioning tires and dodged possible wrecks till the final few laps, when he was comfortably in the lead. Sadly, William Byron’s tire failure brought out a caution that shuffled the grid wildly. Besides Kyle Larson, a lot of other rivals took two tires, and Hamlin took four. He started 10th and could not catch up with Larson in time, thus resulting in the latter’s second title victory.

When Denny Hamlin screeched to a halt in 6th place and Kyle Larson in 3rd, a frenzy of emotions travelled through the NASCAR garage. The peak of those emotions probably rested with Dennis Hamlin, whose reaction was recorded. However, his son chose not to see that: “I’ve asked to not see it. There is a video from him and Scotty watching the race. Jordan saw it, but I’ve told them I’d prefer not to.”

On the flip side, Denny Hamlin’s loss provided him with a reason to come back next season. He confessed that had the title landed in his lap, he would have been out of the sport. “Listen, I would’ve begged Joe (Gibbs) to let me quit had I won that race,” Hamlin said. “Because it would’ve been the perfect way for me to go out.”

Denny Hamlin will clearly not stop his ambitions despite the massive loss in 2025. And that is what veterans in the garage want dearly.

Empathy for the deserving champion

Although everyone knows about Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak, its gravity may go unnoticed. And Kenny Wallace, a retired NASCAR veteran, is here to let us know. In the 1991 Busch Nationals, both Wallace and Terry Labonte entered that season’s final race under immense pressure. Sadly, the result leaned toward Labonte, as he started from the pole and finished 5th. Wallace faced brake issues before the 50-lap mark of the 200-lap contest. And that stole his chances for the title. Being the younger brother of Rusty Wallace, a highly successful Cup Series driver, the pressure of the loss was multi-fold for Kenny.

“It crushed me. I took sports therapy. There, I admit it,” Kenny Wallace recently admitted. And the veteran observed that Denny Hamlin may be using the same help to get over his loss. Being ’40 seconds’ away from a title he has chased all his life to gift his ailing father and still losing it, Hamlin’s pain is deep. Wallace said, “Most likely, Denny got some great advice from sports therapy.” Yet the veteran is confident in Hamlin’s comeback and eventual championship win. “He’s not done. Hamlin will heal up, and he’ll be back.”

Evidently, Denny Hamlin is in the spotlight for a renewed attempt at the title. Here’s to hoping that Dennis gets to see the glimmer of that trophy next year!